Snake bite is a common medical emergency in India, associated with significant mortality. Ocular complications of snakebite may be seemingly innocuous like conjunctival haemorrhage to vision threatening like optic neuritis, central retinal artery occlusion and angle closure glaucoma. Optic neuritis is a rare complication of snake bite. We describe a 11 year girl with neurotoxic snake bite with features of systemic envenomation, during the course of recovery developed sudden bilateral painless visual loss with clinical features suggesting retrobulbar neuritis. She made a complete visual recovery on initiation of therapy with corticosteroids. Early recognition and prompt initiation of steroids is key to visual recovery.

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Dr Sunil K Agarwalla

Associate Professor, MKCG MCH, Berhampur, Ganjam, Odisha